Solar and Health Care for Moms

• - 12月 22, 2014

In 2008, Dr. Stachel went to Northern Nigeria to study ways to lower maternal mortality in state hospitals. She witnessed deplorable conditions in state facilities including sporadic electricity that impaired maternity and surgical care. Without a reliable source of electricity, nighttime deliveries were attended in near darkness, caesarean sections were cancelled or conducted by flashlight, and critically ill patients waited hours or days for life-saving procedures. The outcomes were often tragic.

Dr. Stachel and Hal Aronson, a solar energy educator back in Berkeley, California started We Care Solar to improve maternal health outcomes in regions without reliable electricity. The Solar Suitcase was “born”. We Care Solar’s portable, cost-effective Solar Suitcases power critical lighting, mobile communication devices and medical devices in low resource areas without reliable electricity.

In 2011, We Care Solar began utilizing a local contract manufacturer to assemble Solar Suitcases. As of November 2014, approximately 900 Solar Suitcases have been assembled and sent to 25 countries around the world. Regional programs in Sierra Leone, Uganda, Malawi, and the Philippines. In 2015, We Care Solar will be expanding programs in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the Philippines.

For more information or to make a donation visit: wecaresolar.org